Thin walls with potentially fatal consequences06.11.15 - Given the choice between safer and cheaper construction, many housing design companies in earthquake-prone developing countries see themselves forced to save on expensive construction materials and opt for the latter. EPFL structural engineers have gathered new data on how these structures respond to earthquakes, and in which circumstances they may fail.

Life Sciences - 05.11.2015

Faster digestion in kangaroos reduces methane emissionsWhy does a kangaroo expel less methane than a cow? Researchers from the University of Zurich and Australia decide to investigate - and discovered that the emission of this climate-damaging gas in kangaroos is linked to how long food is digested. Animals produce methane during the digestion process - some more than others.

Computer Science / Telecom - History / Archeology - 02.11.2015

Revealing the mysteries of the Maya script02.11.15 - EPFL researchers have come up with an algorithm to analyze Mayan writing. This project could one day contribute to translating this complex and still partially unknown language. While some five million people still speak a language that evolved out of Mayan civilization in South America, the written language has suffered a different fate.

Physics - 02.11.2015

Increasing vitamin D supplementationElderly women should take in more vitamin D than previously recommended during the winter months. Osteoporosis is one of the chief reasons why the elderly often suffer broken bones from relatively minor injuries.

Art and Design - 31.10.2015

Lines that blur realityETH Zurich's Collection of Prints and Drawings is currently exhibiting drawings from the 1950s that were discovered in Andy Warhol's estate. These early works reveal unexpected sides of the famous artist, providing a glimpse into his unique approach, the so-called "blotted line" technique. The discovery, reported in 2011, was sensational: a Munich-based art dealer discovered 400 previously unknown drawings among the remaining works in Andy Warhol's estate.

Astronomy / Space Science - Chemistry - 28.10.2015

Surprising Discovery of Oxygen in CometThe biggest surprise so far in the chemical analysis of Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko's atmosphere is the high proportion of oxygen molecules. While such molecules are common in the earth's atmosphere, their presence on comets had originally been ruled out. Early on in the mission of the ROSINA mass spectrometer, in September of last year, researchers from the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) at the University of Bern made an unexpected discovery when analyzing the comet's gases: Between the expected peak values of sulfur and methanol, clear traces of oxygen (O2) molecules were detected.

Health - Life Sciences - 27.10.2015

Intestinal worms "talk" to gut bacteria to boost the immune system27.10.15 - EPFL researchers have discovered how intestinal worm infections cross-talk with gut bacteria to help the immune system. Intestinal worms infect over 2 billion people across the world, mostly children, in areas with poor sanitation. But despite causing serious health problems, worms can actually help the immune system of its host as an indirect way of protecting themselves.

Siberian jays can recognize unfamiliar, distant relativesCan animals recognize distantly related, unfamiliar individuals of the same species? Siberian jays possess this ability as evolutionary biologists from the University of Zurich recently could demonstrate for the first time. This bird species belongs to the crow family and is able to accurately assess the degree of kinship to unfamiliar individuals.

Computer Science / Telecom - Event - 26.10.2015

One click away from the perfect outfitWhether shopping online or offline, everyone knows how difficult it can be to find the right outfit. Fashwell, an ETH spin-off, now has a remedy for that. Its app unites social media and online shopping to help users track down the clothes they like. Anyone who thinks fashion and computer science are two irreconcilable concepts and that fashion is inherently out of place in a technical course would quickly change their opinion with a single visit to the ETH spin-off Fashwell.

Health - Physics - 23.10.2015

Monitoring critical blood levels in real time in the ICU23.10.15 - For patients in intensive care, knowing how much glucose, lactate and other substances are in the blood is a question of life or death. EPFL has developed a miniaturized microfluidic device that will allow medical staff to monitor these levels in real time and react more quickly.

Chemistry - Health - 23.10.2015

Potato harvest reduced by halfOn the way from field to fork, more than half of the potato harvest is lost. This is according to a new study conducted by researchers from Agroscope and ETH Zurich.

Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 22.10.2015

Looking at the earliest galaxies22.10.15 - An international team of astronomers led by EPFL have discovered over 250 of the universe's earliest galaxies. This sample includes the faintest and smallest of the first-generation dwarf galaxies to be discovered, and offers important clues about the nature of the early universe.

Mechanical Engineering - 22.10.2015

The ductility of magnesium explained22.10.15 - Zhaoxuan Wu and William Curtin of the Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics Modeling (LAMMM) have solved the 40-year-old scientific riddle of the low ductility magnesium. Magnesium is the lightest metal found on earth; it is four times lighter than steel and a third lighter than aluminum.

Life Sciences - 21.10.2015

How the brain triggers action21.10.15 - EPFL scientists have identified specific neurons in the striatum that contribute to driving motivated behaviors like movement. The work may help in designing new ways of treating disorders like Parkinson's disease in the long term. Perhaps the brain's most important function is to process sensory information and make behavioral decisions based on it, like moving to grasp an object.

Fighting age-related health impairments with mind and bodyIn promoting mental health, combined mental and physical training is more effective than physical training alone, as ETH human movement scientists have shown in a study of people over 70. Age-related health impairments affect not just the body but also the mind. Scientists refer to its mental symptoms as "mild cognitive impairment" (MCI): sufferers misplace things, can't recall the name of the neighbour they've just been talking to, or become generally less responsive.

Life Sciences - Physics - 14.10.2015

3D Structure of a Protein Complex Important for Immune ResponseOur innate immune system rapidly eliminates invading pathogens. When a pathogen is detected in the body, the "inflammasome" protein complex initiates the defense response of the immune cells. By combining two high-resolution methods, researchers from the University of Basel's Biozentrum have now determined the atomic structure of an important part of the inflammasome.

Life Sciences - Health - 14.10.2015

Looking at the brain with a geologist's "eye"14.10.15 - Using a geologist's imaging tool, researchers have made unprecedented high-resolution images of how carbon atoms from glucose are integrated into brain cells, providing new insight and opening new doors into the fate of glucose in the brain. Glucose - a form of sugar - fuels the brain.

Life Sciences - Health - 12.10.2015

Genetic variation is key to fighting viruses12.10.15 - Using a genome-wide association study, EPFL scientists have identified subtle genetic changes that can cause substantial differences to how we fight viral infections. When infected with a virus, the response of our immune systems varies widely from person to person. This variation is of great concern, as these differences can determine clinical outcome as well as effectiveness of vaccinations.